Using reflection to evaluate student learning in ambulatory care IPPEs.

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Ambulatory Care Practice
• Experiential Learning

Background:

• Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPEs) are crucial for early exposure to diverse practice settings.
• Ambulatory care presents unique learning opportunities and challenges for student pharmacists.
• Understanding student perceptions is key to optimizing IPPE design and effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To gather insights from student pharmacists regarding their learning experiences in an academic-based ambulatory care site.
• To evaluate whether the objectives of an introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE) were met during the ambulatory care rotation.

Main Methods:

• Student pharmacists completed post-rotational reflective essays detailing their assumptions, perceived roles, and required skills in ambulatory care.
• Student interest in ambulatory care was measured pre- and post-IPPE using a ranked scale.
• Reflective essays were analyzed thematically using constant comparison and respondent validation; Wilcoxon signed-rank test analyzed interest changes.

Main Results:

• Sixty percent of students found their initial assumptions about ambulatory care to be inaccurate or underestimated its complexity.
• Key learning themes included the collaborative practice model, chronic disease management, and the time commitment for patient outcomes.
• Student interest in ambulatory care significantly increased post-IPPE (p < 0.01), with 90% agreeing with the findings.

Conclusions:

• Ambulatory care IPPEs provide a meaningful learning platform for student pharmacists.
• Intentional reflection during IPPEs enhances the achievement of educational objectives.
• These experiences positively impact student pharmacists' interest in pursuing ambulatory care careers.